Your baby this week24 weeks pregnant

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In the know

Who doesn't like a good concert? But before you get tickets, look at how loud music can affect your pregnancy. The effects of sustained loud noise on an unborn baby are not known. It has been associated with miscarriages in animals, but no definite connection between humans, loud noises and miscarriages has been found. The studies also are inconclusive as to the effects of vibration on the baby, which often accompanies sustained loud noise.

What we do know: By the 20th week of pregnancy, your baby has developed the structures necessary to receive sound impulses. By about the 24th week, your baby can hear and will react to loud, sudden noises. So, if you have an occupation that forces you to be around loud noise or sustained vibration throughout your workday, request a temporary transfer to a quieter division until after your delivery.

Daycare baby notes

Parents can’t be around at all times. You may be going back to work or want a night out or even (gasp) a whole weekend away from your baby. Tiny Tales has a great way to keep track with what your baby is doing even when you can’t be there to see it…

The handy Daycare Sheets for infants shown above allows your daycare provider, mom, or baby sitter to record what your baby did while you were out. This sheet is pretty, comes in a notepad of 50, and also comes in a toddler version. Read more!

Minimize your stress

"Reducing stress during pregnancy is a very important part of modern obstetrical care," says Dr Kenneth Johnson, Ob/Gyn and director of the Nova Southeastern University's Women's Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. So how does an expectant mom find the right balance?

Here's one tip: Take a walk!

When you feel so stressed that you are tempted to tell someone to "take a hike," follow your own advice and go for a walk instead. "Exercise is the best and the cheapest medicine there is at any point in life," says Dr Elizabeth Taghechian, a Marietta, Georgia Ob/Gyn. "It decreases the risk of gestational diabetes," she says, and "decreases chances of depression during pregnancy."

Bizarre baby names?

A reader writes: "A friend of mine is having a baby, and she's planning on naming her Castle. Like the place where the king and queen live. (She thinks it sounds "dreamy.") Am I allowed to tell her that this is a bad idea, and the kid will resent her for giving her a stupid name?"

Our expert answers: "I think in this case, we have to respect the 'to each his own' motto. If your friend was a celebrity, the media would be ohhing and ahhing over her unique choice of names. Castle is not nearly as bizarre as Audio Science, Pilot Inspektor, Banjo, Apple and Speck!"